In the Spring semester of my Freshman year of college, the
President of Emporia State University sent out a special email to everyone announcing
that he was resigning. It came out of nowhere and students wondered who would
replace him and how soon. During the Fall semester of my Sophomore year, 4
candidates visited and interviewed for the spot and it was officially announced
that December that President Michael Shonrock would be our new President at
Emporia State University. I was able to catch a peek at the very end of his
first speech when they announced it after my class. I was anxious to see what
this President would be like and how well he would do there. It didn’t take me
long to figure it out.
I had seen him around campus every once in awhile and we
formally introduced ourselves at a meet and mingle with him that I was invited
to for recognized student organization presidents or board members. I had
patiently waited over an hour as others got to meet him until he came over to
my group. It was then when I got the courage to tell him about BUILD Beauty and
gave him an index card that had my information on it asking him if he could
pass it along to his wife and see if she could come to the next BUILD Beauty
meeting. He put it in his pocket on the inside of his suit jacket and the day
before the next meeting I received an email from his wife telling me she would
be at the meeting. He actually gave her my measly index card and told her about
me! I couldn’t believe it as she attended the meeting and I was introduced to
her. By the end of the meeting, she was offering their house as a place to host
our first birthday party for BUILD and they would cover costs for food. She
told me to just email her with ideas. It was a great opportunity to have our
first BUILD Beauty birthday party at the President’s house! It went really well
too J
By the end of the semester, it was pretty much normal for me
to see him at some point on campus every day. We would exchange hellos and
maybe a small conversation here and there. I had seen this guy more in a couple
weeks span than I had ever seen our previous President. I actually never had a
conversation with our previous one.
I have even encountered the Shonrocks over the summer while
I am not at school! I worked an Ambassador event at the T-Bones game for an
Alumni event. There were other Division II schools there as well such as
Washburn, Pitt State, Fort Hays, etc. President Shonrock showed up and mingled
and at one point was working the event himself! He was taking tickets and
directing people at the food tables. It didn’t take long for a buzz to stir as
representatives from other schools got their phones out and texted the
Presidents of their schools giving them flack for not voluntarily working the
food tables let alone even being present at the event.
I also worked a fundraiser for our football team that was in
Kansas City this past week and the Shonrocks were in attendance. I had just gotten
back with a fellow ambassador from getting a couple packs of water bottles. I was walking in carrying a pack of water
bottles when he had seen me and was excited to see I was there and asked how my
summer was going. I eventually went and talked with his wife, Karen. We
exchanged how our summers have been and talked about other topics such as
football season and how it is a requirement for Ambassadors to be 21 in order
to work the President’s box because we would be handling alcohol. She didn’t
like the sound of that. She said we wouldn’t handle alcohol anymore because she
didn’t want to be giving us ideas. Also, she wanted any of the Ambassadors to
be able to work the President’s box and have fun. She said she would talk to
Michael about it and by the end of the night I saw her again and she said it
will be changed and she would talk to our advisor about it! I was also able to
talk to her about some other ideas the Ambassadors have had concerning alumni
and she wants to help out with that. She asked how BUILD Beauty was coming
along and the plans for the semester. We even got to chatting about nail polish
and my blog. J
President Shonrock visited us a few times during the night
talking to us about ESU. He talked about the renovations and changes going on
on campus and how excited he is for our first football game. He wants EVERYONE
to be there. No excuses! He plans to visit sororities and fraternities that week
and encourage them to go and will most likely visit the dorms to get Freshman
to go as well!
While I met with our Ambassador advisor, Nikki, over this
summer to brainstorm, she had mentioned that President Shonrock has refused to
have an official inauguration and wants the money that would be used for it to
go to the school for something useful. The last inauguration for our past
President had cost around $200,000! I was amazed by this information and
decided to ask Shonrock himself about this topic when we were talking with him.
He said it was true that he did not want a formal inauguration because it costs
time and money. People that work at ESU would have to take time to plan it and
put it together which takes time from their job which then costs money. It also
takes money to put it on such as the dinner and the whole nine yards. So he was
able to use that money and start a scholarship in which full time employees of
ESU can have their spouses or children attend ESU for free! He told us a story
in which he talked about it with a custodian at the university. The custodian
had teared up because her son would now be able to go to college when he
probably wouldn’t have had that opportunity to do so before that.
That night after the football fundraiser, I was filled with
joy and excitement that Emporia State has been blessed with such a great
President that is full of ideas, changes, and positive energy. There have been
so many changes since he has been in office this last January and students,
faculty, and alumni can definitely feel it. Big things are happening and
Emporia State is definitely getting on the map. I am excited I still have a
significant time there to see the changes and be a part of it. It amazes me
that I am on a first name basis with the President and First Lady of my
university and I am able to talk to them and voice my ideas and suggestions for
the university. They listen to me and are willing to help out. I am so thankful
to have these opportunities and that students can be really involved in our school.
That night at the fundraiser the MC asked who was willing to
donate $1,000. President Shonrock didn’t hesitate to raise his number. If you ask him about it, he would probably
eventually say, “that’s just how I roll.”
Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel
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| Karen Shonrock & I during the BUILD Beauty Birthday Party |
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| President Shonrock, Kirsten, & I at the T-Bones Alumni Event |
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